Regulator for fluid-compressors.



E. L. BULKLEY.

REGULATOR FOR FLUID COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-5,1914.

@MWW $1 alto r, g Q

Patented Sept. 18,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMERY L. BULKLEY, OF PAINTED POST, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RA'ND COMPANY OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

REGULATOR FOR FLUID-OOMPRESSORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed December 5, 1914. Serial No. 875,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERY L; BULKLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Painted Post, in the countyof Steuben and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Regulators for Fluid-Compressors, of which the followingis a specification. This invention relates to regulators for fluidcompressors, and more particularl to regulators wherein, to reduce theloa on the compressor, the intake of the compressor is closed and thedischarge line opened to atmosphere whenever the pressure in thereceiver reaches a predetermined amount.

It has been proposed in this type of regulating mechanism to operateboth the intake closing valve and the discharge line opening valvesimultaneously, by admitting compressed fluid from a pressure controlledvalve to the operating-motors of both intake and discharge line valvesat the same time. In cases, however where the compressor is unloaded atfrequent intervals there is a considerable waste of energy, in that allthe air in the compressor at the time the unloading valves areoperatedis pumped through the compressor and out into the atmosphere.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby thedischarge line unloading valve will not be opened to atmosphere until ashort time after the intake valve is closed. This will allow all, or alarge portion, of the air in the compressor to pass through thedischarge line and to the receiver before the discharge line valve isopened.

With this object in view, a regulating mechanism has been devised, apractical embodiment of which is represented in the accompanyingdrawing, which shows an end elevation of a compressor with the importantparts'of the regulating mechanism in section.

The compressor, as shown, comprises a low pressure cylinder 1 and a highpressure cylinder 2, connected by an intercooler 3. In the inlet pipe 4,which leads into the low pressure cylinder 1, is an intake closing valve5 which closes against a seat 6. The valve '5 is opened or closed by apiston .7 which slides in a cylinder 8. In the discharge line 9 of thecompressor which leads to a receiver 10 is placed a discharge lineunloading valve 11 which controls a port 12 leading by a pipe 13 toatmosphere. In the discharge line 9 is also a check valve 14 whichprevents the return of fluid from the receiver 10 when the port 12 isopen. The discharge line unloading valve 11 and check valve 14 may be ofany well known construction, but are here shown as disclosed in thepatent to'William F. Treiber, No. 1,093,299,

dated April 14th, 1914.

- Fluid under pressure to operate the valve 5 and valves 11 and 14 isadmitted to these valves at a predetermined receiver pressure throughthe agency of a pressure controlled valve 15, such as shown, forinstance, in the patent to J. H. Castle and W. G. Rogers, No. 1,138,278,dated May 4th, 1915, which is connected to the receiver 10 by a pipe 16,this connection not being shown. The valve 15 communicates with thecylinder 8 by a short pipe 17 and with the valves 11 and 14 by a pipe 18of considerable length, which for a portion of its length is dividedinto two branches 19 and 20, there being an adjustable globe valve 21 inbranch 19, and a check valve 22 in branch 20, this check valve openingin such a direction that the air 11'].- not flow through branch 20toward the valves 11 and 14 but can flow freely in the other direction.

In operation, when the pressure in the receiver 10 rises to apredetermined maximum, the valve 15 operates to admit fluid to the pipes17 and 18, the fluid passing through the pipe 17 into the cylinder 8,immediately raising the piston 7, closing the valve 5, and shutting offthe admission of air to the inlet pipe 4 of the compressor. The airentering the pipe 18 cannot pass through check valve 22 and the globevalve 21 is so adjusted that the air can only pass slowly to the valves11 and 14. This will delay the opening of the discharge valve 11 and thevalve 21 can be so adjusted that this valve 11 will. open as soon as allthe air in the cylinder of the compressor at the time the valve 5 wasclosed has been passed into the receiver, past check valve 14. When thepressure in the receiver again falls, due to the unloading of thecompressor, to the predetermined minimum pressure for which valve 15 isadjusted, the fluid under pressure operating valves 5, 11 and 14 will bedischarged to atmosphere, allowing these valves to again resume theirnormal positions. The operation of valvesll and 14 is, however, notretarded in closing by the restricted flow of air through the valve :21,as the escaping air can flow freely past check valve 22, enablii'igvalves 11 and 1-L to quicker resume their normal positions.

It is to be understood that while the present showing and descriptiondiscloses only one specified modification of my invention, other formsand modifi ations are included in the spirit and scope of the same as expressed in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a regulator for fluid compressors, in combination, a compressor,its receiver, a fluid operated discharge line unloading valve mechanism,a fluid operated intake closing valve, a passage to convey fluid to saidintake closing valve, a passage to convey fluid to said discharge lineunloading valve mechanism, said passage having valve mechanism arrangedto restrict the flow of fluid in a direction to open said unloadingvalve mechanism, and means to admit fluid alve mechanism, a fluidoperated intake closing valve, a passage to convey fluid to said intakeclosing valve, a passage to convey fluid to said discharge lineunloading valve mechanism, said passage having adjustable valvemechanism arranged to restrict the flow of fluid in a direction to opensaid unloading valve mechanism and to allow free flow in the otherdirection, and means to admit fluid to said passages at a predeterminedreceiver pressure.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

EMERY L. BULKLEY.

\Vitnesses:

J. WILLIAM JONES, A. O. CARPENTER.

